Monday, 30 March 2009

Palacios. Modric. Jenas. Zokora. Huddlestone. Taarabt. O’Hara. Seven players. One massive conundrum. At least, that’s how it all started out back in Part I of this series. I’ve not touched on the worth of Adel and Jamie just yet (will do in a sec), but arguably thus far, only Palacios and Modric….and at a push (one that has Spurs fans split) Jenas are forming the basis of the new-look Spurs midfield. More on this in Part VI (the concluding article). Decided to extend this series by one rather than fit it all in this blog entry.

So for now, the backups.

Jamie O’Hara. Adel Taarabt. And John Bostock (which makes it eight in total, but whoever heard of the Magnificent Eight?). All three players sit in very different categories with regards to first team selection.

Taarabt is an enigma. In the sense that some rate him others don’t. Clever feet, clever brain, not so clever decision making – but that’s not a negative. It's a learning curve. Going on loan to Q.P.R. is the best thing for him at the moment. Starting games is vital, and that’s something that was not happening for him at Spurs. It’s one thing show-boating in the reserves, another performing in the Championship. A competitive hard-working league is the best place for him to adapt his silky skills into a more realistic environment, so his understanding of when the basics are more important than the flicks gets programmed into his creative head.

Time for a closer look at the thrilling threesome...

O’Hara, an ex-Arsenal youth player, but one who would wear a Lilywhite shirt under the red and white of the South London club when playing for their youth team before making the short journey across their swamps to the bright lights of White Hart Lane. There is absolutely no doubting Jamie’s passion for the club. He’s a fan. If I was Premiership class (I'd play behind the front-two in a free-role creative play-making capacity...obviously) and you stuck me in the Spurs team, you’d love my intensity and spirit and commitment. I’d give it 110% and some. Jamie has that level of urgency in his play. What he doesn’t have is the polished all-round abilities to match his heart, that would surely make him a first-choice regular.

"Did ya just pinch me bum?"

If you take a look at successful sides, most of the players never supported or support the team they are representing. It’s not a necessity. It would be nice to have that (love for the club) in every single one of our players – if we did, we’d have accumulated more than 2 points from the opening 8 games. But players should have instilled in them the right amount of graft as a given. They are professionals on a ton of money, they should never get anything less than 100%.

Fantasty football, yeah?

Jamie would probably give 110% no matter the club he played for because that’s him. He gets himself about a bit on the pitch, flying tackles and the like. He’s high tempo. But is he high class? Nope. We love him because....well, because he loves Spurs. But he’ll only ever be a decent squad player – a backup. Someone to come on in the final 20 minutes or perhaps start a Cup match to lower league opposition. I’m not sure he’ll progress any further. Hope I’m wrong. So I’m not stating anything amazingly insightful here. Possessing intensity, spirit and commitment is great, but doesn't account for much if you don't excel in other areas of your game.

Taarabt is Marmite. You love him or ....you know, but why anyone would hate him is beyond me. Have we become so impatient? Isn't Adel the quintessential Tottenham player? Ok, so he plays like a flash thirteen year old in a playground, ball stuck to his feet, trying to dribble it past everyone twice. If Adel was around when we sat up in 4th spot in that giddy season, he’d have made an impact. Much like he did against Utd earlier this season when Modric oh so nearly scored. It was Adel who started the move with those clever little feet.

'Potentially' World class....right?

But in other cameos he has frustrated the home support or just made us laugh out loud with his audacity and his naivety. But he doesn’t lack ability. Or self-belief. He has it in abundance. Storming performance for Morocco a month or so back on his debut. And not too shabby for Q.P.R. so far. He’s also stated he wants to return to Spurs and fight for a place. It’s difficult to know whether he will always just be the flash kid in the playground, a combination of Timothee Atouba (you’re perpetually worried he’s about to lose the ball) and Zidane (he thinks, we wish).

Next season, when back at Spurs, Harry should have him on the bench and start him when it’s safe to do so. He has to play games in the Prem for his raw potential to be tested, which means he should train with the first team squad and our coaches make sure that he matures and improves his decision making and composure. Shining at QPR will do him no harm at all.

The problem I have is that at other clubs, you see players touted as potentially world-class and they make their first team debuts early and shine and continue to do so - and prove they are on the road to possible greatness. We have had so many false dawns with much hyped players. And some are always stuck in limbo, never quite making it beyond the bench. If he is good enough, he should play. At the moment he isn't because of one or two immature traits. Iron them out, and we might just have a brilliant player on our hands. One that can change the game with a blink of an eye and a dink of the foot.

As for Bostock. It’s too early to make any assumptions – and to be honest, I’ve not seen enough of him. What I have seen, he’s been impressive and his UEFA Cup appearance (at the age of 16 years 295 days, the youngest ever Spurs player) this season showed that he was worth the battle with Palace to claim his signature. He's composed, refined and confident. An England U-17 captain and definitely not a player who will disappear into obscurity. He looks the part. Absolutely no need to rush him. Or is there?

To break into the first team at the age of 16/17 you have to be something extraordinary. Arsenal (Cesc) and Everton (Rooney) both stuck their young prodigy's into first team football early. For all the hype, we never do. Arguably you could state that Fabregas wasn't rushed. He was ready for it, such is the ability of the spitting Spaniard.

Show us your dance moves

Again, responsibility falls to Spurs, but in the academy and in Alex Inglethorpe – I have faith. Our youngsters have claimed a few tournament successes over the past year and have fared very well in the ones they haven’t won. We do - hype aside - have proven quality at this level. Yes, I know, that doesn't mean they will all make the grade. But we've been pretty starved of academy promotions in recent years (I know Bostock came from Palace, but you get where I'm coming from - remember Owen Price and Michael Malcolm?).

Like most kids, once they start to make reserve appearances and knock on the first team door – you can only hope Spurs are in a decent position in the league and strong enough to allow for the young one to make comfortable appearances in the Prem. Asking a young player to perform in a struggling side can be soul destroying (Bale, Gio). A blossoming team is safer ground for promotion. Which is why Bostock hasn't played a bigger part this season.

So.

O’Hara – Decent squad player, but not of a standard that would have Palacios sweating any time soon.Taarabt – Young, ambitious, talented – but still naive and made up of raw potential. Has to play a part next season ‘at’ Spurs, off the bench and in the CC games.Bostock – Ask again in one year, but we might see more of him in CC games next season (possibly along with Dean Parratt) – but still a few seasons off from first team football.

I know I’ve spoken about Huddlestone already back in Part III, but he deserves to be mentioned again. Last week he tapped himself up by suggesting he might need to look elsewhere for first team football. Newcastle were linked with him over the weekend in the tabloids (although why anyone would want to go there...) although that’s probably just a journo making stuff up just to fill the page.

Hudd performed well for the U-21’s – he usually does. He controlled the midfield in his usual nonchalant manner, which does get mistaken for looking a little on the lazy side. He played the ball well offensively and got stuck in defensively, winning a few tackles. And he scored and got to wear the captain’s armband for the second half. A confident all round performance then:

Huddlestone, and his accurate precise passing range, saviour of young England.

So why do we not rate him again? Oh yeah. He’s too slow.

Unless the entire midfield is built around him, and aids in compensating his lack of mobility – then maybe a transfer away is the only conclusion to this Tottenham midfield question. He has the technical ability but it’s not enough, and his weakness are too apparent for him to stand all on his own. Works in the U-21s. Might even work if he played his football abroad. But not over here where football is 1000mph. He needs protection.

So can he stand up and be a man? That's down to him. Not sure you can quite learn that on a training pitch.

Tom is a superb passer of the ball can hit a sweet volley. But whether it’s the lack of that much maligned mobility (of if you prefer to criticise him as being too casual with no fire in his belly and killer instinct) it’s apparent that he is lopsided when counting his positives and negatives. If you can’t move you get side-stepped. If you get side-stepped you become nothing more than a passenger. Compare him to other players of his ilk who start Prem games and you get to see the gulf in difference.

Personally, I don’t think Hudd is ‘too casual’. It's just a fallacy. He has an unflappable quality about him. Hoddle was always cited as being too casual, but what a player – not just with his passing or getting the tackles in (which he did more than people give him credit for) but his effort/application was unquestionable. That’s the crux of it with Tom. And it's why the question about 'standing up' to it is still left unanswered.

Whether you are casual or 110% in the way you play – you can get the same job done as long and the application is there. Is Huddlestone showing enough that suggests his effort can improve? It’s also a fallacy to suggest his build stops him from achieving acceptable lateral movement to keep him competitive in games. He shed a load of weight, he got himself into great shape. So unless he requires specific training for mobility – I can’t see what else he can do about it. If you don’t have the application, you’ll stagnate.

It's quite possible the problem is not in his gut, but in his head.

Huddlestone is at that cross-roads. I want him to be a success, but he’s nothing more than backup at the moment. And that might well result in him being someone else's conundrum next season.

In the concluding Part (VI) of this series - the (not so) Magnificent Seven become the Fabulous Four, led by a certain magical Croatian...

10 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Huddlestone isn't lazy. He just doesn't seem to have that determination or realisation that he needs to do more to become a great player.

If he had the heart and passion of O'Hara then he'd be a world beater. Unfortunately he doesn't seem to have the desire to really push himself on. I too want him to succeed at Spurs BUT i have a feeling that he'll be someone elses conundrum next season

Taarabt is a class player just no footballing brain but not quite as vacant as a Kaboul or Zokora or Ghaly. He'll get there but we need to have the bottle to play him far more often. I'll be furious if we sold him to QPR.

Huddlestone I rate but reckon his chance has gone. Centre-back perhaps?

LET ME TELL ALL SPUR FANS DONT SELL TOM UP THE RIVER BECAUSE HE WILL BE A CLASS PLAYER THE REASON HE DOESENT NEED TO BE QUICK IS HE CAN SPLIT A DEFENCE FROM 50 YARDS AND SWITCH THE BALL FROM ONE FOOT TO THE OTHER IN A BLINK TELL ME WHO HAS TERRIFIC SPEED IN THE MIDDLE OF MIDFIELD BALLACK ISENT BLESSED LAMPARD THE LAD CAN PLAY DEFENCE MIDFIELD SHOOT PASS CREATE AND HAS A LONG THROW HIDDEN IN IS ARMOURY.KEEP THE CLASS KEEP ENGLISH TO 6+5 IS COMMING

O'Hara and his three touch. He's a decent little player who does come on with clenched fists and snarls a lot and it does have a decent effect on some of the players and especially the fans. But that doesn't make him an option for a prolonged first team stay.

Look, imagine O'Hara being promoted from the U21's into the first team proper? Can you? I can't.

Thought of the Week

burn your season ticket

As a loyal supporter of Tottenham Hotspur FC I am in constant war against Daniel Levy and his propaganda machine, which continues to fool the Spurs faithful, season after season. An accountant shouldn't be running a football club.

Are we in an abundance of debt? No. Do we always have money to spend? Yes. But yet here we are trapped in the depths of an eternal struggle. Never sustaining the grandeur of glory we so richly deserve.

I'm also the founder of the The Association of Real Spurs Enforcers Neutralising Antichrist Levy and the League of Lilywhites. My crusade is one of immense importance and grandeur:

To free the spirit of Tottenham Hotspur from his evil grasp and allow us to progress forward rather than being ripped to shreds like a cockerel with no means of escape surrounded by rabid foxes (Levy, and his board of directors are the foxes in this metaphor. I'm the cock).

At the end of each season, I burn my season ticket in full view of the directors box, from my seat in the Park Lane Lower as a protest of disgust at his reign of injustice and humiliation.

Levy cares for nothing other than feeding his ego, spending money on superfluous players and knee-jerking faster than a West Stand season ticket-holder. My eyes see no glory. Just overly expensive bagels and dead pixels in the Jumbotron and DVD releases of score-draws.

rumourwhores.com

Inane football banter and random chat. The forum for disillusioned fans and message board outcasts.

About the letters

Many of the letters to Levy were originally posted on the Glory-Glory.co.uk Tottenham forum. The original threads are no longer available, however the early letters were duplicated for prosperity on the Rumourwhores football forum. The rest are on this blog.

Below is the collection of correspondence to Daniel Levy and other pieces of work.

studs-up.com

Top drawer footie comic strip, blog and forum, for fans of all teams. You need to be clicking in right about now...

glory glory.co.uk

Spirited Tottenham forum. The only one that matters. Includes textbook knee-jerkers and ITK's.

Bedtime Reading

WANTED

I'm looking for a publisher. My aim is to complete a diary of the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Considering some of the (bland) Tottenham related football 'diaries' that manage to get published, I'd really appreciate if someone out there had the balls to go with something more leftfield.

If I make a ton of money, I will be one step closer to forming a consortium to take over the club and rid N17 of Daniel Levy and his minions.

For more information on the future take-over, please stay tuned to this blog.

The 'Consortium of United N17 Tottenham Supporters' is the way forward.

Fight the Power

Levy out?

Spurs ground re-development

Email the club, and make sure they know what the fans want for the new proposed stadium:

Petitions

Field Reports via Twitter

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Subscribe To DML

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Viva La Revolution !

What they say...

"I find your blog to be a pathetic joke. How can you claim Levy isn't doing a good job? You're a disgrace to Spurs fans"-Paxton87

"It's a load of gonads. This geezer (spooky) spends his time complaining about people slagging the club off and does it himself in every paragraph he writes. This is the type of supporter whom I hate listening to. They will never be happy, no matter what. If we win the Premiership title he'll complain that we've lost our identity"-rdless

"This very long winded stram of consciousness offers no insight other than the boardroom is shit, Redknapp is shit and our team is a pushover - there you go mate, done in one sentence. I read the whole thing because I was waiting for some interesting insight, it never came. poor"-A journalist who reads The Times

"Let's be 'aving you son! Let's burn that Levy effigy together. And maybe go for drinks or catch a movie?"-Kate, North London

"You're not a soldier. You're a studenty socialist playboy wanker"-Anonymous

"Forget Levy. Get Ramos out. Get Jol back. At least he could speak English, even if he did start every sentence with 'no'? I can imagine the half time team talks. 'Hey boss, we gonna win?' 'No..' No wonder he lost his job"-Disgruntled, UK

"Graham Roberts would run through walls for Tottenham. Jenas would apologetically whisper that he has lost the keys for the door, then sleep on a park bench for the night. "-Big Dave

"He's actually called spooky on another website.... he's the author of all the bullshit above which you mention . he's as much of a wanker as i keep telling everbody that you are.... ohh and someone else who's on that website & on this (not me) has told him so..."-traciebigtits

"Poor management of the club by Levy. I'm in full support of your work Spooky. Though disappointing you haven't put together a consortium to buy the club. I can see it now - season tickets for £300 and no West Stand. Bliss!"-Ted the Baker

"Burning a season ticket is so 2004. You need to do a Banksy. Paint the South Stand red in protest."-Derek of the East Stand

"Me, me, me, me, me...Turgid"-southstand1882

"I totally agree that ENIC & Levy only really care about lining their pockets at the expense of our beloved club. When they stop running THFC like a corner shop we might actually get back to playing a decent game for decent people. I am not rich but I am willing to invest and support in any consortium that has a realistic chance of displacing the greed and evil that is suffocating the Glorious Spurs"-TrueSpur

"The geezer is clearly a whacko. Anyone who has been writing to someone for several years and actually believes that Daniel Levy has created a thread to catch him out, suffers from dillusions of grandeur and is probably a stalker. Bald Archie, if the site is not dedicated to the hating of one man, then WHY IS THE SITE CALLED "DEAR MR LEVY"???"-rdless

"Isn't it all getting a little old now - you are like a monument to yourself"-Wazza

Now available on Blue-Ray

You know.....

......we always called each other Yids. Like you said to, uh, somebody: You're gonna like this guy. He's all right. He's a Yiddo. He's one of us: You understand?

We were Tottenham fans.

Lilywhites. But Jimmy and I could never sit in the West Stand because we we didn't drive Mercs. It didn't even matter if you didn't own an Opus. To become a member of the Park Lane crew you've got to be one hundred per cent Spurs so they can trace all your relatives back to the old days in the 1960's.

See, it's the highest honour they can give you. It means you belong to a family and crew. It means that nobody can fuck around with you. It also means you could fuck around with anybody just as long as the old bill and stewards wasn't watching. It's like a license to sing.

It's a license to do anything. As far as Jimmy was concerned with Tommy being ITK, it was like we were all ITK. We would now have one of our own up a tree at the Lodge